Carrying scraper



Aug. 16, 1938.

R. LE TOURNEAU CARRYING SCRAPER Filed Dec. 13, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m AT ORNEY INVENTOR I ,1. 6. leTaz/meau Aug. 16, 1938.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR /F.6.Le7'0umeau .Q m; *TERNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1938 PATENT OFFICE CARRYING SCBAPER Robert Gilmore Le Tourneau, Peoria, 1ll.,

or to R. G. Le Tourneau, Inc., Peoria,

assign- Application December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,481

8 Claims This invention relates to a medium-size carrying scraper having a front gate to form a closure for the load when the bowl of the scraper is in carrying position and back plate movable to push the load out from the front of the bowl, and in which the gate and plate are mounted for movement as a unit.

The principal object of my invention is to provide, in a scraper having the above features, a simple mounting device for the gate and plate, and a simple and eflicient control mechanism for such device.

The above object I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved scraper showing the bowl in a digging position.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the back plate in a fully advanced load discharging position, and looking at the opposite side of the scraper.

Figure 3 is a reduced-size top plan view of the walking beam unit, detached.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the scraper comprises a bowl having a back and bottomplate I which for substantially its entire extent is curved about an axis A {and terminates at its forward end in a blade 2. Side plates 3 rigid with the plate I extend some distance in front of the same. Rigidly secured on the side plates at their forward end are upwardly and forwardly converging beams 4 at the forward end of which is a rigid depending standard 5 which supports a swivel wheel truck 6. z

A centrally disposed hollow beam 1 extends rearwardly from the forward end of beams '4 to the back of and some .distance above the bowl; diverging arms 8 extending downwardly from the rear end of beam 1 to :a'connection with a cross beam 9 onthe bowlatthet pandfback thereof. The bowl, beams-l, standard 5,=1 beam 1 and arms 8 thus forma'rigid'juniti-capable of swinging or tilting about, the "wheels 6 as an axis.

Pivbted on the side plates 3 toward the forward end thereof .as at P and extending rearwardly are side arms lllconnected rearwardly of the bowl by a cross beam H and having depending extensions l2 on which the rear wheels vl3 aresupportedk A central sheave block I4 is carried on the cross beam I l in alinement witha similar sheave l 5 mounted on ears l6 projectin rearwardly from the back of the bowl toward its bottom.

A control cable 11, suitably anchored on one block extends about the sheaves of the blocks, upwardly over guide pulleys I8 and I9 respectively mounted on thebeam 9 and adjacent to oneside of the beam I at its rear end, and then forwardly and along beam 1 to and about a fair lead unit 20 mounted on the standard 5, from which the cable extends to a power drum on the tractor by which the scraper is hauled.

It will thus be seen that by pulling on the- I cable, the sheave blocks I4 and I5 will be drawn toward each other and the bowl will be raised relative to the ground. Similarly, slackening of the cable will cause the bowl to be lowered.

Stub shafts 2| are fixed on the side plates 3 and are centered at axis A. Walking beams each comprising a front section 22 and a rear section 22a .alined with the front section are pivoted on the shafts 2| for independent turning movement thereon. The beam sections are spaced apart somewhat at their adjacent ends, a heavy compression spring S being disposed on top -of each pair of corresponding sections across the space. The ends of the springs are engaged in housings I-I fixed on the beam sections; Depending from and rigid with the front beam sections 22 at their forward end is a concavely'curved front gate 23, braced by a cross beam 24 in front of the same and toward the top. This gate fits between the sideplates 3 and is adapted, when the walking beams are in a certain position, to engage the upper surface of the blade 2 above the lower edge of the side plates and then form a front closure for the bowl.

Secured on the under surface of the rear beam sections 220. at the back is a flat plate 25, substantially radial with the bowl plate I and having its rear edge disposed in running clearance relation with said plate I. The depth of gate 23 is such that when engaged with blade 2, the back plate 25 is adjacent the top of the bowl.

Forward and downward movement of the back plate 25, to effect a pushing of the load from the bowl, is controlled by a cable 26. This cable exends from the tractor, over a fair lead unit 21 n the standard 5, and thence to a sheave block 28 mounted at the rear end of beam I on the side thereof opposite pulley l8, the cable then passes over the sheaves of this block and those of another sheave block 29 mounted on the cross beam 4 centrally thereof, the cable being suitably dead-ended on one block. Pulling on the cable therefore swings the Walking beams upwardly at their front end, lowering the plate 25 in a dirt discharging direction and at the same time lifting gate 23 clear of the discharging dirt. The walking beam unit is swung in the opposite direction, when the cable 26 is slackened, by a compression spring 30 extending lengthwise in the beam 1." A cable 3|, connected to the inner end of this spring is wound about a constantdiameter drum 32 mounted beyond the rear end of beam 1. Another cable 33 is wound on a spiral drum 34 fixed with the drum 32 and extends downwardly to a swivel connection 35 with the plate 25 between the walking beams. This drum and spring control unit is the same as shown in my copending application for patent Serial No. 102,951 filed January 16, 1937, and gives a corresponding pulling action on cable 33.

By reason of the separated and independently turnable walking beam sections and the compression springs therebetween, a valuable action is obtained in the event that the bowl is filled to such an exent that the dirt engages the back or pusher plate 25 even when the latter is adjacent the top of the bowl. In such a case, the front beam sections turn when first pulled by cable 33 without any movement being imparted to the rear beam sections'until the springs are compressed as much as possible. The front apron is thus raised somewhat, to provide an initial dis-' charge opening of fair size, before the back plate advances to push the dirt from the bowl.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. I

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such variations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a scraper, a bowlhaving a circularly curved back and bottom plate, a walking beam extending lengthwise of the bowl, means pivoting the beam in connection with the bowl at the center of curvature of the said plate for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a front gate depending from the walking beam to form a closure forthe front end of the bowl when the beam is in a predetermined position, a dirt discharge plate secured on the under side of the beam at the rear end thereof to engage the bowl plate and disposed substantially radially thereof; said discharge plate lying adjacent the top of the bowl when the gate is in a bowl closing position, and mechanisms to control the swinging of the beam.

2. In a scraper, a bowl having a back and bottom plate curved about an axis occupying a fixed position on the bowl, a walking beam extending lengthwise of the bowl, means pivotally mounting the beam on the bowl for swinging movement about said axis, a front gate secured on the beam to close the front of the bowl, a tail plate on the beam disposed substantially radial of and adapted to move down the bowl plate from the upper end thereof to push dirt from the bowl with the swinging of the beam, means applied to the beam ahead of its pivot mounting to pull the front portion thereof upwardly and rearwardly, and means applied to the beam rearwardly of its pivot mounting to pull the rear portion thereof upwardly.

3. In a scraper, a bowl having a back and bottom plate curved about an axis occupying a fixed position on the bowl, a tail plate to move down the bowl plate from the top thereof to push the load therefrom, a front gate to close the front of the bowl, means connecting the gate and tail plate as a unit and in such relation that when the gate is inclosing position the tail plate is adjacent the top of the bowl at the back, said means including a. walking beam, means pivoting said beam on the bowl for swinging movement about said axis, a controlled pull cable applied to the unit adjacent its rear end tending to swing the unit in the direction opposite to that imparted thereto by the pull cable.

4; In a scraper,- a bowl having a back and bottom plate curved about an axis occupying a fixed position on the bowl, a tail plate to move down the bowl plate from the top thereof to push the load therefrom, a front gate to close 'the front of the bowl, means connecting'the mounted on the frame structure adjacent the beam at its rear end and over which the cable passes forwardly from the unit, a spring rotated cable drum mounted on the frame structure adjacent and rearwardly of the beam, and another cable engaging the drum and depending to a connection with the unit adjacent the rear end thereof.

5. In a scraper, a. bowl having a back and hottom plate curved about an axis occupying a fixed position on the bowl, a pair of transversely spaced walking beams normally extending lengthwise of the bowl, means individually pivoting the beams on the bowl at the sides thereof for swinging movement about said axis, a front gate secured on and depending from the beams to close the bowl, a tail plate rigid with and extending between the beams on their under side and at the back to engage the bowl plate and disposed adjacent the top of the latter when the gate is in closing positionjan upwardly and rearwardly projecting pull cable applied to the gate centrally between the beams, and an upwardly projecting pull cable connected to the tail plate. centrally between the beams.

6. In a scraper, a bowl having a circularly curved back and bottom plate, a walking beam extending lengthwise of the bowl, said beam comprising separate front and rear sections pivoted in common for independent turning movement on the bowl at the center of curvature of said plate, a front gate depending from the front beam section to form a closure for the front of the bowl when the walking beam is in a predetermined position, a dirt discharge plate secured on the rear beam section to engage the curved bowl plate and disposed substantially radially thereof; said discharge plate lying adjacent the top of the bowl when the gate is in bowl closing position, means applied to the front beam section to names a compression spring extending lengthwise of the walking beam across the space between the beam sections and held at its ends on said sections.

8. A. structure as in claim 6, in which said last named means comprises a spring connected at 5 its ends on said beam sections.

ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAH 

